After surviving the club party last night and what’s more survived wearing heels for the night, (how Victoria Beckham does it I have no idea, but am sure that is the reason she is so dam miserable all the time!) I decided to do the Reindeer Run, instead of the usual Parkrun. The decision made really because of the few miles I have managed to run this week.

Boy it was cold waiting for the start, our feet like blocks of immovable frozen ice. Madam was with me as she was doing the shorter 3k. We huddled in the church for a while where we read the course description, when I was reminded yet again not to believe anyone that says a run is flat, if it’s in Devon it has hills, it’s as simple as that and one day I will process that information and remember it for the future, one hopes. The description stated that ‘flat starts were for wimps’ and named the first incline as ‘horrid hill’. Oh joy!

The start was delayed and a bit disorganised, the 10k runners were told to go up front so we assumed the 3k runners would be set off later, unfortunately I realised too late that this was not the case and could not locate Madam to move her up with me. Then we were off up that aptly named hill, soon i was passing people that were walking, a bit early in the game I thought! Madam caught me on the down and was running well, the runs then parted company, we were sent up through a turnip field, whilst they went down.

The course was very undulating for the first half, once we were done with that it was 1.5 miles of mud, before meeting up with the river and running on a harder surface. Harder flat surface, yay! Nearing the end we were sent out along the old railway line, through a field before coming to a bridge, with STEPS, Did I bound up them two at a time? NOPE, it was more of a crawl, once across this obstacle it was the final hill through another field, before coming to the descent in to the village.

All the way round I was asking why I had decided to do this run, but was reminded at the end when presented with these

Oh the lengths I will go to for a cute Christmas mug! Quite pleased with my time for the 10k of 59.59 making it a pace of 9:40, not bad on that terrain. I think I would do it again, it was a beautiful run with stunning scenery on a cold frosty morning, but if you had asked me that on the way round I would have said no!

Madam came 2nd in her age, which was very good but she was grumpy about not coming first as she has beaten the winner before and no doubt would have again without the poor start she had weaving from the back, but we will know that for next time.

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About shazruns

I have been running since 2004 when I decided to do the Race for Life, as a close friend was terminally ill with cancer. Following that I did a couple of 10km at Leeds castle and Sandringham. Then in 2005 ran my first London marathon, then another in 2007 in blistering temperatures. I have entered the London marathon every year since but have been rejected, am now find maintaining my fitness & motivation hard, so when the email came through about Janathon I thought why not! Am hoping this helps with fitness, motivation and weight loss!! Wish me luck!